Chapter 190
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 190
For a moment, Viscount Karayan thought he had misread the letter.
Occupation? Was that not a word reserved for times of war?
However, no matter how many times he reread it, the words remained the same.
—At first, everything was going according to plan. The Duke was helpless in the face of a natural disaster, and the soldiers harbored no resentment toward me, as I welcomed them with open arms. But as the Duke watched his soldiers lose their vitality, he spread a rumor that this entire situation was a charade I had staged.
"Hmm."
Viscount Karayan frowned at the mention of a "charade."
Technically, it was a charade, so it wasn't a lie—but as long as one didn't get caught, it shouldn't matter. Had the man been so clumsy in his handling of the matter that he left evidence behind?
—I tell you now, there was no evidence. There was only suspicion. But the Duke did not lose his reason out of anger at being toyed with. Whether it was a charade or not, he needed to maintain the soldiers' morale, so he used me as a sacrifice.
"…!"
—Knowing the Duke, even if I hadn't been the one behind it, he would have gladly spread rumors that I was the culprit. He wanted his troops to continue instilling fear in the West. For him, the soldiers losing their spirit would have been the worst-case scenario.
Marquis Bernhardt’s original plan was to instill a sense of helplessness in the West, thereby breaking the momentum of the five-thousand-strong army.
Yet, that green young Duke had seen through the Marquis's plan in less than a month and launched a counterattack.
The problem was that the intensity of that counterattack far exceeded any reasonable level.
—Once the Duke incited the soldiers, their rage reached a breaking point. It reached a state where it wouldn't have been strange for them to explode into a massacre at any moment. I was forced to practically hand over the castle and entertain them once more.
"…."
—Given a justification, the five-thousand-strong army had no qualms about wielding their power. My people and my knights had to tremble beneath the might of that great army, to the point where my knights can no longer even restrain a common foot soldier. Their momentum is far greater now than it was at the start.
Viscount Karayan felt goosebumps break out across his forearms.
If the Duke had lost his cool and cornered Viscount Oleg based on mere suspicion, Karayan would have scoffed at him for being a pathetic brat.
But according to this letter, the boy had made a cold, calculated decision to use Viscount Oleg as a sacrifice.
This meant he wasn't the type to act and then regret it, but rather the type to orchestrate major events with a plan in mind.
Dammit, what rotten luck.
Viscount Karayan bit his lip, realizing that Lucian was the exact type of person he least wanted to face.
An impulsive man would be easier to deal with. Once such a person regained their senses after an outburst, one could use that lapse in judgment to push them even further politically.
But the story changed when dealing with someone who intentionally accepted a loss for a greater gain. It meant that at the moment of the attack, they had judged the benefits to be greater than whatever political fallout might follow.
Aside from the fact that you can't stop these types once they start rampaging, they crush their opponents even more thoroughly just to ensure there are no future consequences.
The pressure one felt when facing a man blinded by rage swinging a sword was entirely different from the pressure of facing a man who intended to slit your throat and walk away clean.
Viscount Karayan desperately hoped that Lucian would be satisfied with occupying Viscount Oleg’s castle and simply return home.
However, the contents of the letter were the exact opposite of his hopes.
—Whether by luck or misfortune, they did not leave my castle in ruins. Despite their various tyrannies, they still intend to head north to accept the Marquis's invitation. The problem is that they are looking for more sacrifices.
Viscount Karayan squeezed his eyes shut at the mention of "more sacrifices."
For a split second, he felt the urge to rip the letter to shreds, forget everything, and just drink tea. He could guess what horrific sentence would follow.
But if he actually did that, a much greater disaster would surely follow later.
Forcing his eyes open, Viscount Karayan painfully scanned the next lines.
—The Duke believes that for every moment he was held back, the other lords of the West will look down on him. While he made an example of my territory, he will certainly not be satisfied with just me; he will surely target others. I do not know who the next sacrifice will be. It could very well be you.
"This man…!"
—Lest you misunderstand, let me say this in advance. This is not a curse, but a concern. How tragic would it be if the same misfortune befell a House we have interacted with for so many years? Therefore, I shall leave you a small piece of advice so that such a thing does not happen.
At the word "advice," Viscount Karayan’s eyes snapped open as he was about to crumple the letter in anger.
A five-thousand-strong army was on the verge of shaking his territory to its core, and the man was offering a way to avoid it?
As if he had never been angry, Viscount Karayan carefully examined the next sentence.
—Do not hold the Duke back. He already knows the intentions of the Marquis and ourselves, but he is not certain who the collaborators are. If you attempt to delay the Duke even slightly, he will pounce and make you his next sacrifice.
"…!"
—You may be censured by the Marquis later, but wouldn't it be much better to endure a bit of scolding than to have your territory laid to waste? That is what I, having been bested by the Duke, believe now. My friend, I pray you do not suffer the same misfortune as I.
After reading the final sentence, Viscount Karayan narrowed his eyes.
The Marquis's request was to delay Lucian as much as possible.
If he let him pass without even attempting to stall him, he might lose the Marquis's trust.
But at the same time, he felt that, as the letter suggested, that would be far better than having his territory ruined.
What could be more important to a territorial noble than their own land and House?
No matter how great a backer is, a backer is just a backer. They are merely a means to protect my territory, not a master I should serve at the cost of my House's destruction.
Naturally, Viscount Karayan’s heart leaned toward the advice in the letter.
However, simply following the advice immediately wasn't a good idea.
If the other lords were struck by Lucian while knowing nothing, but Viscount Karayan alone remained unscathed? He would not only lose the Marquis's trust but also surely incur the wrath of his neighboring lords.
He needed a way to distribute the responsibility and ensure he wasn't isolated from the other lords.
After a moment of thought, Viscount Karayan suddenly shouted as an idea came to him.
"Prepare pen and paper! I must send letters to the other lords!"
"There's no need to go out of our way to visit every single lord along the path to advise them. If we just tell one person, they'll spread it to the others on their own."
Lucian muttered as he popped a raspberry into his mouth next to the bed where Hugo lay.
Unlike what one would expect from the West, where fruit was hard to come by, the raspberry was bursting with juice. Viscount Oleg had clearly purchased them at a high price through a merchant.
"Viscount Oleg followed the Marquis's orders faithfully, and he's suffering all sorts of hardships as a result. In other words, Marquis Bernhardt cannot reprimand Viscount Oleg, no matter what happens."
"So, if he lets His Grace pass just as the letter says…."
"He'll be branded a traitor who surrendered to the enemy and let them through while other territories were being ravaged. If he wants to avoid that, he has no choice but to share the advice."
"It's a method of distributing responsibility by increasing the number of accomplices."
"Exactly."
A deviation by one person among conspirators is treated as a solo act.
But when all the conspirators act with one heart and mind, it's no longer a deviation—it becomes a consensus.
Furthermore, that consensus even has a proper justification: "the survival of the House."
Even if Marquis Bernhardt found it distasteful, he wouldn't dare lay a hand on them. The moment he ignored that consensus, cracks would form among those who had been his steadfast allies until now.
The other lords would surely realize this as well and would actively pull in more accomplices.
"It's a method the underworld thugs used to use often when they messed up. Honestly, whether it's a back-alley brawler or a noble head of a House, they all think the same way."
"Options are limited when there's a superior above you to do the reprimanding. It's a different story if the person who made the mistake is a leader who doesn't need to worry about what others think."
Lucian chuckled and tossed a raspberry toward the mocking Hugo.
Hugo caught the flying raspberry like a baby bird and munched on it.
As Hugo fell silent while eating the fruit, Felicia spoke up this time.
"However, not every House will open their gates immediately because of that one letter. Some will try to hold us back for at least a few days, if only to save face."
"Even after I wrote in such detail about how miserable they'd become if they did?"
"Some of the Houses the Marquis ordered to stall us are connected to the House of Roglan through marriage. Since they are closer than the other Houses, they won't be able to back down easily, even if they want to."
Lucian nodded at Felicia’s concern.
Houses joined by marriage to a Great Family receive several times more benefits than others. Once they become family, it's only natural to look after them more.
But at the same time, in situations like this, they cannot back out as easily as other Houses. The pressure to fulfill their duty is as great as the favors they've received.
If it were a crisis on the level of the House completely collapsing, they might wash their hands of it and feign ignorance, but my visit this time is nothing more than an extension of a psychological war. Once I leave, they'll have to face the consequences.
Conversely, because they were close to the Marquis's House, they likely had the confidence that Lucian wouldn't dare act too out of line.
With the reason they couldn't back down combined with that modicum of confidence, it was highly likely things would turn out as Felicia said.
"Well, then it can't be helped."
The vassals' eyes widened at Lucian's seemingly resigned statement.
Lucian looked at them and gave a smirk.
"I'll just have to create an atmosphere where they're forced to back down, even if they don't want to."
After sending out letters to the other lords, Viscount Karayan immediately began preparations for a welcome.
Even if Lucian stayed for only a short time, any lack of hospitality could be used as an excuse to find fault.
In the meantime, he didn't forget to frequently send scouts to check on the repair status of the bridge.
And then, not long ago, a report finally came in that the collapsed bridge had been fully repaired and the army had crossed.
Upon receiving the report, Viscount Karayan went out in person to greet Lucian.
"When is the Duke's army expected to arrive?"
"Based on the last scout's report and their marching speed, it should be less than two hours from now."
Viscount Karayan toyed with his handkerchief as he listened to his aide's report.
The handkerchief was already soaking wet from the cold sweat pouring from his palms.
"I'll say it once more: do not, under any circumstances, offend the Duke. Focus only on providing satisfactory hospitality, and do not block him whenever he decides to leave the territory. Understood?"
"We will keep it firmly in mind, Your Lordship."
The aides nodded with tense faces at Viscount Karayan’s repeated warnings.
They, too, knew the general gist of the letter sent from the House of Lerum. They couldn't let such a horrific thing happen here as well.
"Lord Viscount! The Duke's army is approaching!"
Someone shouted through the air, which was pulled taut with tension. It was a scout who had been watching for Lucian’s arrival from a nearby high ground.
Viscount Karayan shouted toward the sweat-drenched scout.
"How far have they come?! Is the number the same?! What is the state of the soldiers?!"
"Judging by their marching speed, they should arrive in a few dozen minutes! The numbers were exactly as you said! However, the atmosphere is a bit strange!"
"What? Strange? In what way?"
The scout replied with a voice filled with fear at Viscount Karayan’s question.
"The soldiers' armor and weapons are blood-soaked! It looks as if they've just come from a war!"
"…!?"